Control apparatus



H. L. BEACH. CONTROL APPARATUS. APPucATloN min ocT.30,19| 1.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

INVENTOR Wawdf'dLedC UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD L. BEACH, 0F EDGEWOOD PARK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENN- sYLvANIA.

CONTROL APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

Original application led September 8, 1914, Serial No. 880,605, matured into Patent No. 1,244,459, dated October 30, 1917. Divided and this application led October 30, 1917. Serial No. 199,286.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD L. BEACH, a

. citizen of the United States, and a resident of Edgewood Park, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Control Apparatus, of which the Jfollowing is a specification', this application being a division of my copending application, which has matured into Patent No. 1,244,459, granted October 30, 1917;

My invention relates to control apparatus forfelectric motors, and Vit has special reference to control apparatus for electric motors that are adapted for use in propelling` electricrailway vehicles and the like.

Y One object of my invention is to simplify, and reduce the cost of construction and maintenance of control apparatus of the Aabove-indicated character.

Another object of my invention'is to provideV a novel type of control apparatus whereby the flexibility and eiciency of operation ofsystems of the general type under consideration are increased.

Y In many types of control systems for electric railway vehicles that employ auxiliary 'control circuits 'for electrically governing a plurality of poweroperated, particularly fluid-pressure operated, switches, it is customary practice to control the operation oi the switches directly from the auxiliary control circuit through a suitable master controller. In the case of automatic systems, in addition to the apparatus mentioned, it is necessary to provide an vaccelerating relay or limit switch, which is set to operate upon the traversal therethrough of a predetermined current value, and also a multiplicity of electrical interlocking contact members that are associated with corresponding control lingers and are actuated by the respective switches to energize the magnet coils ot the switches, in accordance with a predetermined sequence, to effect automatic progressive operation of the several motor-controlling switches.

Disadvantages of this type ot control apparatus are the iirst Acost and maintenance of the large number of interlocking Contact members. It is, therefore, with the purpose of obviating these disadvantages that my invention is designed. A

According to my invention, I reduce to a necessary minimum the number of electrical interlocking contact members that are carried by the switches; and in particular, I provide a plurality of adjustable electromagnetic devices that are mechanically actuated by the switch that closes, just prior in the sequence, to eli'ect'fluid-pressure operation of the respective switches, as more fully set fort-h in my above-identilied patent.

In the accompanying drawing, the single figure is a sectional detail view of a complete switching vdevice constructed in accordance with my invention. Y

Referring to the iigure, which illustrates the preferred form otone type of switching device that is employed in the systems shown in my above identiiied patent, the device shows the relation of a' switch RRl tothe electromagnetic device that is associated with a switch R1. A stationary switch member 1a is supported in position in any suitable and familiar manner (not shown), and a co-operating movable contact member 1 is suitably insulated from', and is movable with, a rod 2 to the lower end of which is secured a piston 3 which operates within a cylinder 4 in opposition to the action of a helical spring 5. A suitable inlet pipe Gis provided to admit iluid-pressure from any central portion or hub 12; a coil 13 of relatively large current capacity which is disposed within the encasing member 11 and which is adapted for connection in the main motor circuits; a centrally disposed movable core 14 which co-operates with a stationary longitudinally adjustable corel 15 and is separated therefrom by a suitable air f gap 16; a valve member 17 which is suitably secured to the lower end of the core 14 and is biased by a spring member 18 to close an inlet passage or pipe 19 from the source of' {luid-pressure; an exhaust chamber 2O which is normally in communication with a passage or pipe 2l leading to the operating cylinder or" the corresponding switch; a-

second valve member22 which is adapted to close communication between the chamber Y 2O and the passage 21 upon actuation of the electromagnetic device; a rod 23 which is secured to the upper end of the core 14 and is movable therewith; a loose collar 24 which isdisposed near the upper end of the rod 23; a second collar 25 which is rigidly secured Ito an intermediate point of the rod 23; a helical spring'26 which is supported:

upon the upper surface of the hub 12 and is adapted tobias the collar 24 and the rod V23 to their upper positions, a Vsecond helical spring 27 which is disposed around the rodV ing rod or lever 30, one looped end 31 of which extends around the rod 23 and rests upon the collar 24 and is pivoted at an inter@ mediate point 32 to have its free Vend en gaged by the pin 7 oftherod 2, under predetermined conditions.

Y The electromagnetic action of the coil 13 tends. to maintain the valve 17 closed, and,

therefore,'th `J coil13 andthe upper' spring 26 actin conjunction with each other and in commenV opposition to theY action of the spring 27.'V ,'VVith no current flowing, the

Faction of the spring 26 predominates over that of the spring 27, and the vvalve 17 remains` closed;

also, the electromagnetic force exerted bythe coil 13, whilethe motor current traversing the coil VVis maintained IabeveV a predetermined value,-is sufcient to overcome the action of the spring 27, even though the spring 26 be temporarily renderedi inoperative upon the rod V23, as hereinafter described. The current value at Y which the device operates may be readily vvariedto Vsuit the particular conditions and to obtain the most efiicient operation byadjustingthe position ofthe stationary core4 15 relative to the movable core 14jY 'The operation of the device just described may be set forth as follows: Upon closure of the Switch BB1 by the Vadmission of fluidpressure to the cylinder 4, the pin 7 of the c rod'2 engages the free end of the rod 30,

and, consequently, depresses the other end 31 ofthe rod, causing the collar 24 to `be actuated downwardly, a movement which is permitted by the pin and slot construction.

The actuation of the spring 26 upon thel rod V23 and associated valve member 17 is thus relieved. However,` so long as the motor current passing through the coil 13 remainsabove a predetermined value, the electromagnetic' action of the coil is suffi'- cient to Vovercome the action of the spring 27, and no furtheioperation of the electroopposing said electromagnetic means.Y

2. VThe combination with a normally closed fluid-controlling valve 'and a pistonand-V magnetic device occurs. l/Vhen the current drops below the `predeterminedvalue, how-Y ever, the action of the spring 27 becomes greater than the force exerted'b'y thecoil 13, and the valve member 17 Yis actuated to its lower position to admit fluid-pressure to the cylinder of the switch R1, thereby closingY Vthesaid switch. rlhus the openingof the valve causes the piston-'and-cylinder ofthe The switch is then maintained in its closed position, irrespective of further variations in switch'ltl to effect its'working movement.

the motor current, by the disposal of the coil 13 in a circuit which receives only small portion of the motor current, or by opening the v'circuit of thejcoil 13.

1 The opening,l action-of the device illus- 'trated is etfectedas Vfollows-z Upon the opening of the switch with whichthe device is mechanically associated, thepin 7 fis disengaged from thev free end of the rod 3,0, whereupon the sprinfr 26 overcomes'the ac tion of the spring 27 and actuates the rod 23 and its'associated valve member 17 to their upper positions. to permit of the release of fluid pressure from the operating j cylinder of the corresponding switch through` thepassage 2l and theexhaust chamber 20.

v l do not Y wish to befrestricted to Athe specific arrangement of parts, or structural details herein set forth, as manyl modica-V tions thereof'niaybe made. within the spirit and scope of my invention. fl, therefore, `desire, thatl only such'limitations shall 'be claims.V .I claim as my invention:

imposed as are Vindicated Vin lthe v ai'ipendedY ioo ' i'. The Combination with a nofmiiiyciosea c fluid-controlling V.valve and a device whose working movement is governed Vby the openingV thereof, of electromagnetic means adapted to oppose the opening operationy of .the saidV valve and a plurality VvofV resilient means for respectively assisting and cylinder whose working movement is lgov- ,erned by the 'opening thereof, of electromagnetic means 'for biasing the said valveto the closed position thereof, mechanical means Y .for rendering' the valve active and a plurality ko f unlike resilient means .for respectively as Y sisting and opposing said` electromagnetic means. Y Y

3. The combination with a normally closed.

4fluid-controlling valve and av device whose working movement is governed by theY opening thereof, of a current-carrying coil, an

varmature yactuated-by 'the' said coil and.

adapted to bias the said valve to the closed position thereof, and a pluralityof unlike springs for respectively assisting and opposing said coil.

' 4. The combination witha normally-closed iio erned by thev opening thereof, of mechanical means and electromagnetic means co-operating with the said mechanical means for rendering the said valve inactive and a plurality of unequal springs for respectively assisting and opposing said electromagnetic means.

5. The combination With a fluid-controlling valve, of resilient means for biasing the said valve to a predetermined position, weaker resilient means for opposing the firstnamed means, electromagnetic means for aiding the first-named means and mechanical means for rendering the first-named means inoperative.

6. The combination with a fluid-controlling valve, of resilient means for biasing the Y said valve to a predetermined position, weaker resilient means for opposing the rstnamed means, electromagnetic means for aiding the first-named means and mechanical means for rendering the first-named means temporarily inoperative.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this twentieth day of October, 1917.

HOWARD L. BEACH. 

